


nocturne

by shairiru



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M, Merman!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-26 14:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3854680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shairiru/pseuds/shairiru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[/ˈnäktərn/· <i>noun</i> · a musical composition evocative of the night]</p>
<p>Shintarou did not believe in mermaids. That is, until he met one who changed his music.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nocturne

**Author's Note:**

  * For [0ocrystalo0](https://archiveofourown.org/users/0ocrystalo0/gifts).



> Happy (advanced) birthday Emily! ^v^

 

 

There is this legend that Shintarou has grown up to, one that tells of a kingdom underneath the waters and a race of creatures whose heavenly voices lure men to their deaths. They say that when you hear them sing, you will get a glimpse of a wonderful dream but will not live to tell the tale. Mermaids. That’s what they called them.

He was a cynic. How can these stories spread if those who witness their existence are bound to die? The answer is simple to his young mind: mermaids aren’t real. Parents just didn’t want their children wandering off too far from the shores. People die in the sea due to unfortunate happenings.

Just like how one morning, he and her sister woke up to their mother’s wails, and when they went outside, they saw their father’s lifeless body being carried by his comrades. No mermaid took his life, he thought that day. It was the sea.

From then on, he cursed it and stayed far from it as possible. His sister knows it as well. It took her months before she let her feet touch the sea once more. She still went back to it, because in the waters she felt very much alive.

“When will you swim again?” Shizuka asks him one time.

“I’m never going back,” is what he said.

“But you love the sea.”

“It killed father.”

That was the end of their discussion.

#

Shintarou is fourteen and he is smitten with music.

He spends his free times composing on the farther end of the island where the rocks and the waters meet. There he can see the sea putting the sun to sleep, like how their father used to cover them with a blanket and kissed their foreheads and told them good night.

His music is always so sad, Shizuka would say.

“It’s night music,” he tells her, “ it’s supposed to be that way.”

But what they both know is that he never quite got over with their father’s death.

On a certain afternoon right when his classes ended, he brings with him his flute from which he plays his melodies. It was a gift from his father and he treasured it so. He settles on the edge of the small cliff and  brings the flute to his lips. He plays, letting music float with the wind.

Memories of his father come rushing in his mind. When he finishes playing, he closes his eyes and finally cries. He hates crying. He hates how it tastes, how it reminds him of the sea. But he has never cried since their father died, and somehow, doing so now made his chest feel lighter, even just a little bit.

His sister appears from behind. She calls him with a smile. It’s time to go home.

#

He goes back the following afternoon with his flute in tow. He settles on his usual place and puts the flute to his lips. But before he even started, a voice reaches his ears, his melody being sung back to him.

_"[B](https://soundcloud.com/04060407/song-of-the-night?in=04060407/sets/nocturne-midoaka-mermanau)y the fire we sit together_

_Singing the song of the night_

_Basking on the ember’s glow_

_Our faces shine with delight_

_The wind carries our merry melodies_

_The stars shine upon us winking_

_The mermaids from the far seas are watching_

_As we sing the song of the glorious night."[  
](https://soundcloud.com/04060407/song-of-the-night?in=04060407/sets/nocturne-midoaka-mermanau)_

 

Shintarou looks down and finds a boy looking up at him from a boulder below. But he isn’t quite a boy, is he? The setting sun makes his hair burn like a bright flame, inhumanly so. The scales that covered part of his body glittered. He points his finger at him, and he sees how his hands are webbed, his nails pointed.

“You make good music,” his speaking voice is just as musical as his singing one, and it settles down the panic that has risen inside him.

“You’re a merman,” he tells him.

He eyes him appreciatively, his lips turning up.

“Are you not afraid of me?”

“I want to be. But your voice...,” he wants to hear more of it.

The merman raises his head and smiles, “Come closer.”

Shintarou follows at once not because of fear, but because his voice made him want to obey his every word. It must be like the stories, how mermaids would lure men into their deaths. Yet, he feels calm.  He jumps over the rocks, careful not to scratch himself. When he comes near him, the merman gently touches his flute.

“Play it again, the music you made. I want to sing with it.”

He brings the flute to his lips without any second thought. He sings again.

Captivating, he thinks as he plays. He feels as if they are in a different world altogether, a different place where there’s only their music. When the song ended, the sun has already set. He feels different, somehow.

“Your music is beautiful, even to someone like me.”

“Thank you,” he says, looking down on the dark blue waters. He was never good with compliments.

“But you have so much sadness in here,” he puts his hand over Shintarou’s chest, on the spot just above his heart, “my words do little to lift the sadness from your music.”

“It’s night music,” he says automatically from all those times his sister has said the same thing to him, “it’s supposed to be that way.”

“Night music is supposed to remind you of the night, of how mysterious it is, of how beautiful the stars and the moonshine, of how cold winds bring forth memories, of how the gentle crash of the waves against the sea bring you peace. Night music is supposed to be quiet, not sad,” he drops his hand, “Come back here tomorrow. I liked singing with you. I will appreciate it if you tell no one about me.”

Just like that, he swims back to the sea. Shintarou watches in silent admiration as the boy disappears into the darkness. Only when he hears footsteps above him that he looks away. Shizuka is on the top of the cliff, eyes and jaw wide.

“That was a merman,” she exclaims, “A real merman right before our eyes!”

“Don’t tell anyone,” he tells her as he starts climbing back up.

“You’re going back here tomorrow?” she offers her arm down to him. Shintarou reaches for it.

“I have to.”

“You don’t have to, you know. It was a request.”

“Didn’t sound like one to me,” he grunts and leads the way back home.

“Did you like playing while he sang?”

A strong wind blows and remnants of the music he made earlier with the merman echoed back to him.

“Yes.”

“That might be it,” she smiles, “I told you night music isn’t supposed to be sad.”

#

Shintarou comes back the next day at the same time, his flute held close to his heart. The merman is already there waiting for him. When he turns around, his smile promised of happier melodies.

#

“I’ve always listened to you play,” Seijuurou - that was the name he chose to be called - tells him one time. He had told him he is the prince of the mermaids, and Shintarou never looked at him the same way. However, with music as their common interest, he is able to overlook that part of him and they have become good friends. “The world needs to hear your music.”

Shintarou is humming to himself as he writes the notes to the song they are composing. He looks up momentarily and throws him a wry smile.

“That’s too much of a dream for an island boy like me.”

“I’ve always been taught to aim for the best,” he shrugs, “I think you should, too.”

“Aiming for the best would mean going to the mainland. Leaving my family behind is something I won’t do.”

“Why? Have you been left before?”

His grip of the pencil tightens and he misses the bar line he’s supposed to put the triplet on. He closes his eyes and breathes, forcing the image of his father out of his mind.

“My father died when I was young,” he finally says, “The sea took his life.”

Seijuurou says nothing back, but he takes Shintarou’s hands in his and hums the melody he was just writing. There are no words, but his eyes draw him in. In them he sees the open sky and the  calm sea, lit brightly by the red of his eyes. He has always associated the color red with anger and hatred, but Seijuurou has given it a whole new meaning.

#

Shintarou is sixteen and he is smitten.

Recently, when he would go to the end of the island, he would always smile. His heart would race at the thought of seeing Seijuurou again. His dreams are filled with his voice. When he’s composing, it is him that comes up in his mind.

“Your music is happier,” Seijuurou tells him after playing a melody he has just finished.

“Don’t you like it?” he feels suddenly nervous. Seijuurou is the very reason why the melody he made is happier. If he didn’t like it, then Shintarou has failed so badly.

“No, of course not. It’s actually better this way,” he takes a breath and sings:

_"[T](https://soundcloud.com/04060407/you-are-not-alone?in=04060407/sets/nocturne-midoaka-mermanau)he moon shines, silver against the dark sky;_

_A music fills the cold air of the night;_

_The wind blows carrying a melody_

_from far away, telling stories_

_of people who we never get to see;_

_Listen well,_

_Listen with your heart and you will know that_

_you are not alone in the middle of the night."[  
](https://soundcloud.com/04060407/you-are-not-alone?in=04060407/sets/nocturne-midoaka-mermanau)_

“Beautiful,” Shintarou whispers.

“As should be a fitting word to describe your music.”

“It’s not just my music,” he says, “I only make the melody. You lay the words.”

Seijuurou smiles and bumps his shoulder against his.

“It’s our music, then.”

Shintarou feels unreasonably happy afterwards.

#

“Swim with me.”

Shintarou’s reaction is instantaneous. He steps back, trying to keep the distance between him and the sea as far as possible. Seijuurou had led him to the beach that afternoon, a different place from where the usually meet. The sun is still far from setting and the water glittered. Sand is everywhere and it is a perfect place for swimming. He knows it all too well. He used to swim here until his legs and arms are too tired to move.

“I can’t. It’s the sea that took my father away from me. I can never go back in there.”

“How many years has it been, Shintarou? You should let go of your hatred of the sea.”

“I do not hate the sea. It’s because that I...love it so that I feel like this.”

“You’re afraid.”

A small wave creeps up to the beach, and Shintarou watches as the water drain into the sand. He has forgotten how it felt like to be one with the water.

“I am,” he admits, looking away. Even Shizuka didn’t know how every time he thinks of stepping into the sea, he’d imagine it dragging him into its depths, never to be heard of again. It was an irrational fear, nonetheless, it wrecked his mind.

“But I’m with you now, aren’t I?” Seijuurou reaches up his hand to him, “The sea is my realm. You have no reason to be afraid. I can hear the sea calling for you, would you still turn deaf to it?”

A stronger wave hits the sea, and the water creeps higher on the shore. Shintarou feels the edge of the water hits his toes before returning to the sea. It is cold and familiar.

“Swim with me,” Seijuurou reiterates. Shintarou is well aware that he isn’t using his voice to make him do what he asks of him, but there is this part of him that wants to comply.

He finally takes Seijuurou’s hand and steps tentatively forward. The waves creeps back up and reaches his ankles. A shiver runs through him and he fights the instinct to run away. He takes another step, and another, and the next thing he knows, the water has already reached his chest. His hand is still linked with Seijuurou’s and the latter is smiling at him.

“You can take it from here?”

Shintarou lets go of his hand and exhales loudly.

“Yes.”

“You’re forgetting something.”

“What is it?”

“Your glasses,” Seijuurou chuckles, “You can’t swim with those. Let me hold them.”

Fumbling, he removes his glasses at once. The world blurs around him. His heart beats frantically against his chest.

“It’ll be fine,” Seijuurou assures him, “I’m with you.”

Taking a deep breath, he lets go of Seijuurou’s hand. He puts his palms together and crouches until the water reaches his chin. His feet moves automatically, pushing against the sand and propelling himself forward to the deeper part of the water. He spreads his arms in front of him and opens his eyes. Beneath him, brittle stars and sea stars rest peacefully on rocks, and the sea grass dances with the current. He swims some more and looks into the sea that he hasn’t looked at for so long. When he is out of breath, he rolls around and floats on his back, staring up at the orange-streaked sky. The waves lap gently around him.

“You swim like a merman,” Seijuurou shows up beside him.

Shintarou doesn’t answer. Instead, he keeps looking at the sky and listening to the sounds around him. A familiar music is playing in his mind, the kind of music he can only find when he is surrounded by the sea. It is something familiar and comforting.

“I’m home.”

#

“My mother is going to kill me when I go back,” Shintarou mutters as he swims to the boulder some far away from the shore. Seijuurou is already settled on top of it, waiting for him with a patient smile. “It’s late.”

“It’s just over an hour after the sunset,” he offers his hand to Shintarou and pulls him up, “And there’s no more perfect moment than this time.”

“What is it that you want to show me, anyway?”

“Come closer.”

Shintarou crawls on his knees towards Seijuurou. Seijuurou pushes himself up and points to the water. The sea is humming its own music, a soft symphony, and on its dark surface, the moon glows and the numerous stars twinkle as bright as they do up on the night sky. The gentle waves give them life, and Shintarou wonders why in the entire time he had lived beside the sea, he never once thought of looking at it this closely.

“It’s the universe right before you, isn’t it?” Seijuurou asks him.

He stretches out his arm, reaching for a single star. His touch creates a ripple that echoes on the waters, making the stars and the moon dance. He swirls his hand around, and they move with the waves created. It’s as if he is conducting an orchestra. It brings a smile on his lips.

“Amazing.”

“It’s not only the sea that I wanted to show you tonight. I also want you to hear the song I made.”

Shintarou turns sharply and looks at him in surprise.

“You made a song? Melody and lyrics and all?”

“Stop looking so shocked. Did you seriously think I sat on rocks spouting poetry before I met you?”

“No, no, of course not. It’s just that, you were always just singing songs based out of my melodies ever since we knew each other.”

“A mermaid’s song is a very special thing. It’s not that trivial that I can just let any human hear it. Isn’t it that in your legends, if a human hears one, it’s the last song he will ever hear?”

“Are you saying this will be my last night of being alive?” he narrows his eyes at him.

“Don’t be silly,” he flashes him a playful smile, “Ready?”

“Ready when you are.”

“ _[W](https://soundcloud.com/04060407/remember?in=04060407/sets/nocturne-midoaka-mermanau)here the air meets the water_

_I reach up my hand_

_And the blue skies surround me_

_From above_

_Where the land meets the sea_

_I found a place to be_

_And the waves crash around me_

_I am free_

_But all this time I’ve been alone_

_Swimming high and low_

_Searching for that one thing_

_To give me a reason_

_Until I’ve heard a distant call_

_A music from the heavens_

_And I answered with my words_

_And a song weaves through the air_

_My heart beats along_

_with the melodies you make_

_And in your eyes I see_

_an endless possibility_

_Colors filled the cloudless sky_

_when I am with you_

_The night is cold_

_but not when you’re with me_.”

Shintarou stares at him, words escaping his vocabulary.

“Is that...”

“You heard it. I like you.”

Shintarou looks down on his hands, closing and opening his fists. His heart pounds loudly against his chest. He never thought that Seijuurou will like him. All this time, he thought his love is unrequited. He tries to look back at Seijuurou, but when he meets his unrelenting gaze, he loses his own bravado and lands his gaze instead on the sea.

“Well, say something,” Seijuurou tells him.

He never usually sings.

But this time, he does.

“ _The night is cold but not when you’re with me._ ”

#

Shizuka looks at him oddly when he returns home.

“What?”

“You look happy,” she says, craning her to head to the side.

“Is it bad?”

“First, you always come home with your shirt still wet. You have been swimming again. Second, you never look happy,” she narrows her eyes at him, “Is there something you should be telling me?”

Shizuka feels strange when her brother smiles at her sweetly.

“It’s going to be a long story.”

“I’m...listening?”

#

Shizuka is only able to sleep an hour after midnight, but she doesn’t blame her brother. After seeing how he talked about him and that merman- Seijuurou, she’s just too happy to see an old remnant of the Shintarou she knew before their father’s death. And yet, this Shintarou is also different. He is made new by the feeling he had called “ _being in love_ ”.

#

Shintarou is eighteen and in a matter of weeks, he will be leaving for the mainland to pursue a higher level of education one cannot have in their place. He had Shizuka help him send his compositions to a prominent music school. They had it submitted a few months before. A reply did not come and so he had almost thought he has been rejected. His mother had been so happy when they received the letter about his scholarship.

The moment he was free from his mother’s attention, he ran immediately to tell Seijuurou about the news. However, he didn’t think Seijuurou will react by not responding, and instead,  swimming away from him. He had to chase him to the sea so that he can get to talk to him about what was wrong. Seijuurou kept on being stubborn and did not even bat an eye at him.

Minutes later, Shintarou floats calmly on his back, being swayed gently by the waves. The sky is blue and pink and orange. Several birds fly against the setting sun. Seijuurou sits quietly, watching him now from the rocks.

“Will you still not talk to me?” he asks Seijuurou.

The merman turns his head, averting his gaze from him.

“You told me long ago that leaving is not something you will do.”

“And you told me before that I should aim for the best. The scholarship is a great opportunity so I seized the chance. I thought this is what you’d like for me?”

“You should have told me you were planning to do so.”

Shintarou floats towards Seijuurou. He stops just before him, and Seijuurou looks away.

“I thought I would surprise you.”

“How long would you be gone?”

“Four years at the most. It’s supposed to be an extensive training, there’ll be no time for me to go back here for vacation.”

“Is it what you want?”

“Very much.”

Seijuurou lets out a long breath and finally looks at him. His lips are turned up into a smile, but Shintarou sees the truth in his eyes.

“I will be lonely when you go, but I’m glad that you have that chance.”

Shintarou rolls on his stomach and hoists himself up on the boulder. He cups Seijuurou’s cheeks with his hand and he rests his forehead against his.

“Don’t worry, I promise you I will be back. And when I do, I will make you the best songs this world has ever heard.”

“Really?” he lets out a small laugh.

“Really.”

“I’ll hold you on to that.”

#

#

#

After four summers, tens of compositions, numerous performances and a highly-successful concert, Shintarou is finally free to go back home. He’s never felt so alive than now, when the sea air blows strongly, welcoming him like a friend he hasn’t seen for a long time. It has been years since he last saw his hometown.

“Don’t you look too excited?” his sister sits with him on the side of the boat. There are only three passengers: Shizuka, him and a sleeping old man. The boatman is silently seated on the back. Shintarou has been keeping his eye out on the sea ever since the island came into view. “Does Sei-chan even know you’re coming today?”

Shizuka followed him in the mainland to study two years prior. She had been accepted to a school near his and she had just graduated in time with him. But before she went there, she was the bridge between him and Seijuurou. All the letters and music he made for him, she was the one to give them. In the time they are able to interact, they have become good friends and Shizuka had started calling him ‘Sei-chan’. Seijuurou told him in a letter that Shizuka helped him do that it was an endearing nickname.

“He doesn’t. But I think he should be seeing this boat by now, and he can see me from afar.”

A splash of water gets his attention. A red tail flashes from a corner of his eyes before it disappears into the sea.

“It’s him!” Shintarou whispers as removes his socks, shoes and his coat in a few seconds. “Tell mother I would be late.”

“But your clothes-”

Before she can finish, he has already jumped off. The boatman shouts at how stupid he is for jumping off a speeding boat, and the sleeping old man wakes up with a jolt. Shintarou doesn’t care a bit. The water hits him and it feels like home. He swims away, following the red tail that just disappeared some distance from him.

Even without keeping Seijuurou in sight, he knows exactly where they are going. He reaches the end of the island in a matter of minutes. Seijuurou is lying on his side on the sand, looking at him with amused eyes.

“One has to be insane to swim with their pants and shirt on,” he laughs when Shintarou sits beside him, removing his eyeglasses. It’s a miracle it didn’t fall off.

“What can you say, I missed the sea a lot,” he runs a hand through his wet hair and eyes his wet shirt. He can already imagine his mother telling him off for ruining his clothes. “The city waters aren’t suitable for swimming.”

The sudden rough and warm feel of Seijuurou’s fingers on his back gets his attention. His shirt clings to his body so closely that he can almost feel Seijuurou’s skin on his own.

“You’ve changed,” Seijuurou says, his voice a notch lower. He explores the expanse of Shintarou’s back, from his nape to the spot where the knobs of his spine disappears. He traces back up to his chest, snaking his arm around his neck, “You’ve changed a lot.”

“It’s only what you see that has changed. I’m still me,” Shintarou tells him, turning over Seijuurou’s hand and kissing his palm. Seijuurou shivers. If it’s from the wind or from the sensation of Shintarou’s lips, he didn’t know. But what he does know is that he wants him.

Seijuurou kisses his neck and sucks on it lightly, tasting the seawater on his skin. Shintarou breathes in sharply. He turns around and pushes Seijuurou down. The sand prickles Seijuurou’s back and he is pinned beneath him. Both their breathings are ragged and their faces flushed.

“Years,” Shintarou says, his voice hoarse. It makes him want him more. “I’ve waited years for you.”

Seijuurou reaches up and pulls their lips together in a fervent kiss. Their tongues burn together. Mermaids do not drown, but now he feels like he is. If mermaids do so, he’d rather drown in Shintarou’s lips. He pulls him closer and they roll over. With him on top, the distance between them is closed at once. Their hearts beat frantically against each other, and in their eyes, the flames of their desire dance.

“You’re not the only one who’s been waiting.”

 

#

Shintarou hums as he walks back to their house. The places where Seijuurou has touched him and kissed him still buzzes, playing him a melody he has never heard before. He raises his hands and conducts the music that is slowly forming in his head. He should let Seijuurou hear this next time.

A few paces from his house and he can already see his mother waiting for him by the door, arms crossed. He checks his shirt again and just makes it in time to correct the way he buttoned it.

 

“Where have you been? ” she asks as he hugs her and plants a kiss on the top of her head.

“Just swam around. I’ve missed the sea.”

“Your sister told me you dove from the boat. Don’t you know how dangerous it is to do that?”

“I’m back home safe,” he shrugs and smiles sheepishly.

“Don’t you get sassy with me, young man,” she points his finger at him, “These are dangerous times. Mermaids have been sighted just recently in the sea. Don’t go out there too much.”

“Have there been any deaths?” his eyes widens and searches his sister’s, the smile completely gone from his face. Their gazes lock and he knew they are thinking of the same thing. A cold sense of dread fills him.

“No, none yet. But they are not waiting for that to happen. The men have already set up nets all over the place to capture the mermaids.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Shizuka asks. “I mean, I haven’t seen one but if they do exist, and we somehow capture one of them, won’t the rest resist? We don’t know what they can do.”

“My thoughts, exactly. But they won’t listen to me. They say it’s better than them getting to us first. ‘A hostage is a hostage’. I don’t want the two of you going too far out to the sea unless we are assured it is safe, do you understand?”

Shintarou does understand. Seijuurou is not safe in any way that he is.

#

 

“You seem distracted,” Seijuurou whispers behind him, snaking his arm around his waist. Shintarou sighs and drops his flute. Music isn’t coming to his worry-filled mind.

“Mother have told me that people have sighted mermaids more recently. What happened while I was gone?”

“Ah, my subjects have started to go out to the surface again. They took after me, seeing how I come and go as I please. They love the skies. Is there any problem?”

“It’s just that the fishermen have cast nets all around the sea to capture your kind,” he tells him. The waves crash angrily against the cliff. “You should be careful.”

Seijuurou’s eyes flash a dangerous glint.

“Have we done something this time?”

“No,” he shakes his head, “Everyone is just scared.”

“Why do you humans think only you have the right to the seas?” he pushes himself off Shintarou and dives back to the water. Shintarou thinks he has left out of anger, but soon enough he rises up again. His expression has softened, “Thank you for warning me. I will tell my people at once.”

“I apologize for what they’re doing,” he reaches for Seijuurou and kisses his forehead, “I will try to do something, but be safe for now.”

“Be careful, too,” there is a warning in his voice, “I will tell my father about this. He is sure to take action and he is not known for being kind.”

#

A knock on their door stops Shintarou midway from serving their dinner. The three of them look at each other before their mother stands from her seat and opens the door. Ryuu, the head fisherman of the village, stands outside with three men. Bolos are strapped on their waists.

“Can we talk to your son?”

“What is it about?” Shintarou walks toward them, stopping just beside his mother.

“It’s about the hunt, Shintarou. There is a high chance we will catch a mermaid tonight. We need men to help us.”

“Don’t drag my son into this, Ryuu,” his mother steps forward and blocks the doorway with her arm, “I won’t let my children anywhere near those abominations.”

“Umiko, don’t be selfish. This is for everyone who lives here.”

“I already said no. The mermaids will never have more taken from me,” without letting anyone say anything else, she closes the door hard and locks it. She looks at Shintarou with a tight smile. “Let’s eat dinner, shall we?”

He quietly returns to the table, feeling Shizuka’s gaze on him. Their mother goes on and talks about the dangers of going out after the mermaids and letting the grown men exact their foolish plans. They are already cursed, she says, and she will not be surprised if there will be any casualties that night.

Shintarou eats dinner quickly and offers to wash the dishes.

“You should sleep now, mother,” he coaxes her. “This has been a long day for you.”

“Thank you, dear,” she kisses his cheek good night. She does the same to Shizuka and goes inside her room. The moment they hear the lock clicking, Shizuka turns to her brother and gets the sponge from him.

“Let me do this,” she says, “I know you want to see that they won’t catch any mermaids.”

Shintarou need not be told twice. He quietly opens their front door and sneaks into the night. He sees a glimpse of a crowd on the farther end of the shore. It must be Ryuu and the men he gathered for the hunt. He moves quickly to the other side and rides a small boat. There is only one thought in his head: that Seijuurou be safe from all these. He palms the small knife he has with him and hopes it is enough to cut through the nets his people had set up.

He treads his way into the dark sea and locates the first net. He cuts the sides where they attach to a pole and hurriedly moves to the next one. He aims to have all nets unravelled by the time they all meet on the beach again. By the eighth net, he sees a bright yellow tail. He rows towards it, aware of the low voices of men he hears not far behind him.

The moment the merman sees him, he lets out a hiss.

“Don’t panic!” Shintarou raises his hands up in the air, “I mean no harm.”

“Why would I believe you when I’m entangled in this thing?” the merman snarls, baring his teeth angrily.

“I don’t need you to believe me, I just want you to let me cut the sides of the net so that you can swim away. There are others looking for you, and they will have no intention of letting you free.”

The merman sizes him up with his golden eyes, glowing like two full moons.

“Free me, then,” his voice isn’t as silky as Seijuurou’s, yet it’s almost as compelling.

Shintarou quickly cut the net and in a matter of seconds, the merman is almost unbound.

“Go now. They’re almost here. And tell the other merpeople not to go too near to the surface. You are all in danger from my kind.”

“You’re him, aren’t you?” the merman says, his voice in a wonder, “The human that the prince has taken a liking to.”

He thinks of denying it, but somehow, he realizes it will be futile.

“How did you know?”

“There are things only my eyes can see,” the last few strands of the net gets cut, and the merman untangles himself from it. He looks at Shintarou, and his eyes blaze even more, “As a token of gratitude, let me tell you an advice: break now whatever you have with the prince if you value your life.”

The merman swims into the water and disappears at once. Putting his warning on the back of his mind, Shintarou continues on inspecting all the nets that the fishermen have set up. He can’t turn away from this now, can he? He has long known that his relationship with Seijuurou isn’t something that can go for long without a hurdle. They’ve been together for years and everything seemed to run so perfectly that it’s almost time for something to happen.

But if he’s with Seijuurou, they are sure to overcome any difficulty.

#

Breakfast is quiet the following day. The skies outside are of a dark gray and the seas crash angrily against the shore. No fisherman is able to go out to catch produce. Someone’s dog was found dead on the beach earlier that morning, and it looked like it was poisoned. By the very sea, they said.

“It has started,” their mother says, her voice far away, “I told them they will be cursed. Now, look at them. The mermaids have poisoned the sea. They have made the skies angry. I wouldn’t be surprised if a storm happens later this afternoon. Shizuka?”

“Mother?”

“Prepare the candles and lamps. Shintarou, go and put some weight on the roof. We don’t want to sleep under the rain this night.”

The siblings exchange looks before setting on their task. Their mother remains seated beside the window, looking at the sea. She must remembering their father. Shintarou can understand why. The sky was the same gray as today when they brought their father’s body in front of their home. He goes out and searches for massive rocks that can hold their roofs down against the strongest winds.

His arms had been feeling sore since he woke up, no thanks to an all-night of sawing through nets along the shore. But he can at least take comfort in the fact that no mermaid was caught. He managed to run across one other mermaid who got entangled with the nets, and unlike the first one, she had been more cooperative. Once free, she graciously thanked him and swam away as fast as she could.

He had heard the disappointed conversations of the fishermen as they went on their respective homes. It was a miracle he wasn’t caught. He can only imagine how angry everyone will be if they found out he had sabotaged them.

“-len ill since earlier. He was real energetic last night leading the hunt so they don’t really know what could have happened.”

Shintarou looks up and sees two young ladies walking together. Curious, he approaches them.

“Excuse me,” he gives them a polite smile, “Can I ask who you’re talking about?”

“Ah, you’re that man from the mainland aren’t you?” the shorter one says, her eyes scrutinizing him, “It’s Uncle Ryuu. And there are many others, too. Those who went with him on the hunt last night. Some aren’t sick yet, but they think they will follow soon.”

“It’s probably the mermaids,” her friends whispers, her eyes wide, “Granny told them they would anger them but they didn’t listen. What if the sickness spreads around the island? Are we all done for?”

“Now, now,” Shintarou tries to calm them, “You shouldn’t jump to conclusions right away. There must be a perfect explanation for this. Maybe one of the men last night is already sick and he just spread it around the others? Don’t you think?”

“Believe what you want, I still think it’s due to the mermaids,” then she pulls her friend away, whispering something on her ear. Her friend looks at him with sad eyes and mouths a sorry.

He goes back to their house with several rocks in tow. He starts working on their roof, making sure all edges are secured. A small drizzle has started just as he finished the last corner. When he returns inside, he finds Shizuka seated on the dining table, their mother nowhere in sight.

“Mother went to Uncle Ryuu’s,” she tells him, “Apparently, he has fallen ill.”

“So I’ve heard from the kids outside,” he sits across her, accepting the glass of water she offers, “And many others, too.”

“Do you think it’s because of the mermaids?”

Shintarou remembers what Seijuurou told him about his father.

“It is highly likely.”

“Brother, I’m scared. What if everyone in the island falls under this curse?”

He takes her hands on his and squeezes assuringly. It is a possibility he had thought of, but he will not give Shizuka any more reason to be afraid.

“It won’t happen. I’m sure Seijuurou wouldn’t let that. Maybe, it’s just those that are actually a part of the hunt will be affected. You’ve done nothing wrong to the mermaids, I’m sure you will be spared.”

“That would mean almost all the men will be cursed, right? Everyone who came last night? That’s still too many!”

“We just have to believe in Seijuurou now.”

#

A steady rain has fallen and no one else is outside except Shintarou. He has gone to the cliffs in hopes that he might get to see and talk with Seijuurou about what is happening. But he doesn’t find him there, nor is he on the beach. Shintarou goes back to their home wishing that Seijuurou is alright.

 

#

The wind is howling that night and Shintarou keeps on turning and tossing on his bed. The angry screams of the waves hitting the shore aren’t helping him sleep a bit. Even if it’s raining hard outside, the room feels unbearably hot. He takes off his shirt and lies on his stomach. A sudden feeling of lightheadedness fills him and he quickly runs to their kitchen. Just as he reaches the sink, he heaves. His throat burned and his head feels as if something is prodding it from the inside.

“Brother?”

The lights flicker on and he is momentarily blinded. He turns around and sees a blurred image of Shizuka walking towards him.

“Don’t...come near me,” he raises his arms to stop her.

“Why? What happened?”

“I...I think...I’ve...”

The world spins beneath his feet and the last thing he hears is Shizuka’s scream.

#

“I feel so tired,” Shintarou tries to smile but it’s heavy to do so. Everything he does takes up so much energy, and he has to thank Shizuka for helping him go to the beach to be with Seijuurou.

It has just been six days since has fallen ill but his body had weakened so fast. His mother has been devastated and has already accepted that his demise is near. Only because of this that she allowed him outside to be with the sea for as long as he can.

Seijuurou isn’t able to approach the land until after a few days, and when he finds Shintarou waiting for him in the usual place at the usual time, his body affected by the plague his father has set on their village, it takes him a lot to not break apart. He has tried his best to reason with his father, but his anger over the humans had won. Seijuurou didn’t think Shintarou will be caught into it.

“You have to be strong,” Seijuurou’s voice breaks through the clouds that fog his mind. He sees through the little crack his eyes can manage to open. Seijuurou’s face is so clear and sharp.

“Am I dreaming?”

“No. You’re here with me right now.”

“That’s good. You know, I still have so many songs composed. For you. Here, listen.”

He sings though it comes out weakly. Seijuurou leans closer so that he can hear better, burying his face on the crook of Shintarou’s neck.

_"[B](https://soundcloud.com/04060407/the-night-is-cold?in=04060407/sets/nocturne-midoaka-mermanau)efore I die, I want to see your eyes shine like the stars,_

_But shed no tears for my passing, love, even when I’m gone._

_Night is coming swift and fast, close your eyes with me_

_Though when you wake, I won’t be here, but I’ll be in your memories._

_Remember the songs we used to sing,_

_Remember the vows we made,_

_And every time you look at the sea,_

_May you remember me."_

__

“It was beautiful,” he whispers, trying not to let Shintarou hear the sob he’s holding back.

“I’m glad,” Shintarou tells him, “I’m glad you heard that before I...go.”

“Don’t say that,” he holds Shintarou’s face with both of his hands and looks intently into his eyes, “You can’t die with those songs still inside of you. Remember? You will let the world hear your music.”

“The world was never my goal. I just wanted you to hear my music.”

#

When Seijuurou returns to the shore the next day, he isn’t expecting to see Shizuka alone waiting for him. A cold sense of dread fills his entirety.

“Please tell me he’s still alive,” he says first thing as he reached her.

“He still is,” her voice shakes, “but not for long. He got real worse last night. Now he’s having fits. They said he can die anytime soon. I can’t stand to watch him suff-”

Seijuurou stops listening and swims back to the sea with urgency. With Shintarou’s circumstance in mind, Seijuurou navigates through the waters to the pillars of their kingdom. He never usually goes to his father on his own accord, but he’s running out of options. If he wants to save Shintarou, there must be things he is willing to yield to. And in this case, it is his father’s authority that he has long been ignoring that he must submit under.

“You’ve come to me about your human, I assume,” his father’s voice boomed inside the chamber. He is sitting on his throne, surrounded by his many advisers. Seijuurou eyes them pointedly. It was them who suggested to exact the plague in the first place. Many of their subjects are also inside, gathered because of their most recent crisis.

He settles in front of his father’s throne and meekly bows before him, his head resting on his arms. A chorus of gasps echo around him.

“Please,” he says, in his voice a desperation he has never heard before, “Please spare Shintarou’s life.”

“You would bow before me, and throw all those years you thought yourself superior, just for the sake of this one man? Just how hopeless are you, Seijuurou?”

“He is a very important person to me, and I know that it is within your power to save him from your curse. He has done nothing wrong.”

“I am very well aware of what has occurred between the two of you. I am gravely disappointed with your actions, Seijuurou. For someone who will have to inherit this kingdom, it is very unbecoming. Why, I think getting rid of that human will stop these foolish acts of yours!”

“No!” his head shoots up, “Anything but that-”

“You do realize that the mermaids have taken after you and went out to the surfaces more frequently? It is you who exposed them to this danger we have faced. It is your actions that have driven me to punish those humans who have threatened our kind! The world does not revolve around you and your human, Seijuurou. Everything that is happening right now is a repercussion of all you’ve done.”

“I know, father! I take responsibility. I will do anything I can that you ask of me...just please save Shintarou. I’m begging you.”

Everyone in the room falls silent as the words leave his lips. It is the first time they ever heard him say the word ‘beg’. It is the first time he has used it. A tensioned silence rises up in atmosphere.

“My king,” a bright voice speaks up, “if I may say something?”

A merman with a golden hair and tail swims before the crowd, bowing ever so slightly.

“Ryouta,” the king looks at him with recognition, “What does a high noble has to do with this matter at hand?”

“My king, I have met this...Shintarou before. The night I went to the surface to observe the humans, I got caught in one of the nets they have prepared for us. Entangled, I was helpless, and I thought it would be the end of me. But this Shintarou came out from nowhere and helped me escape. He saved me. And I’ve heard he had saved one other life. For this I beg of you to save his.”

Ryouta bows on the floor beside Seijuurou. An explosion of murmurs spread throughout the room, some expressing concern, some expressing anger. Seijuurou keeps his head low, his forehead touching the floor. He wonders how his father must be feeling at that moment, looking at two mermen begging for a human’s life. And he wonders what must be going on inside Ryouta’s mind, taking his side in this situation. They are never that close to begin with, and they’ve never interacted beyond the palace walls. Nonetheless, he hopes him taking his side will help his case.

“I will spare him,” the king finally says.

“You will?” Seijuurou is careful not to celebrate just yet. Ryouta expresses his gratitude and bows one more time.

“But there is one condition.” Seijuurou braces himself for what is to follow. “All memories of this human about our kind will be removed and replaced. We can’t have him run rampant with knowledge about us, can he? There is a reason we’ve continued surviving in this world where humans grow in number day by day at an alarming rate. Knowledge is power, and they shall hold none against us. Ryouta?”

“Yes, my King?”

“As you took part in this ordeal, I will have you administer the removal of the memory of that human. I believe you have knowledge in this field?”

“Oh. Yes, yes, my King. I will get to it at once.”

“Seijuurou.”

“Father,” he looks into his father’s eyes and tries to read what is in his mind. His father’s eyes searched his in return, and it is filled with an emotion Seijuurou has never seen on him before: sympathy.

“I will let you say one last farewell.”

#

“Why did you do it?”

Ryouta continues on searching through his chest, rummaging for the necessary items for the removal of Shintarou’s memory. He doesn’t bat an eye at Seijuurou. He finds a purple shell, a chain and a mirror.

“Answer me.”

The human, Shintarou, has long since been safe. As soon as the king proclaimed his words, he used his power to relieve the curse from him. In front of the entire audience in his chamber, they saw the human’s image in the scrying pool. Ryouta had been shocked at how thin and wrecked he had become in the short time the plague got him. The king was, indeed, ruthless. But in that certain moment, Ryouta realized that the king still had a soft spot for his son and only heir despite their history. After the cure, the king had given him an hour to remove and replace the human’s memories.

“I’ve already said my reasons, my prince,” he turns to him then, holding up the objects he found, “Your human is quite adorable. I don’t want to waste a life like that. Surely, you don’t think I did it for you?”

“I wouldn’t. I know where our lines cross, Ryouta.”

“Of course,” he swims forward, leading the way back to the chamber.

“Thank you, nevertheless,” Seijuurou says as he follows him closely, “If it wasn’t for you, my father wouldn’t have showed mercy.”

“Well, you must remember to keep your farewell short,” he reminds him, “Everyone will be watching, but since you will enter his dream, only you and your human can hear each other. Tell him everything you want. Before the sun sets, that is your deadline.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“I know that he isn’t the only one who has knowledge about us,” he adds in a much lower voice, “but I will spare his sister from this. The king doesn’t know anyway.”

“How do you know all these?”

“There are things only my eyes can see,” Ryouta looks at him, his eyes glowing, “That is why I am trusted with this task.”

Seijuurou meets his gaze, his eyes being reflected on his. It seems to set the prince’s eyes on fire. Ryouta can almost see the thoughts that form in his mind.

“Can you see the future, then?”

“If I do, what does it matter?”

“Will you tell me if Shintarou will still be making music in the years to come?”

Ryouta blinks at him. He thought he’d ask him if he would live happily, or would he die. Apparently, the prince had other concerns in mind.

“He will be,” he answers after a long stretch of silence, “He will be performing in music halls in an exquisite clothing. He will be known for composing the best nocturnes in their world.”

“A...nocturne?”

“That’s what the humans call night music.”

A look of relief crosses Seijuurou’s face, and his lips turn up to a smile that finally reaches his eyes.

“Thank you.”

#

They enter the chamber and Seijuurou feels everyone’s eyes on him. He looks at his father and meets his gaze. It is still like before, unrelenting yet carrying a subtle softness. He takes it as a good sign.

“Ready, my prince?” Ryouta asks him.

Seijuurou stands on the opposite side, looking at the scrying pool. Shintarou lies quietly on a white sheet which he thinks must be his bed. He is much better now that he has been freed from the plague. Shizuka is sitting beside him, holding his hand tightly. He stops himself from reaching out to his image and doing the same. Soon, he will see Shintarou and will be able to hold him. And that will be the last.

“I am.”

“My king?”

“Proceed with it.”

Ryouta throws the shell into the pool. The image quivers, and a bright blue flame lights underneath it. His eyes glow even brighter. Then, he wraps the chain around his wrists until they are loosely bound.

“Hold the mirror, my prince. Face it towards the image in front of us.”

Seijuurou takes it from the ground and does what he is told. Then, Ryouta starts reciting verses from their old language that Seijuurou is vaguely familiar with. The blue flames blaze stronger and takes on a life of its own, jumping towards the mirror. Ryouta then reaches towards Seijuurou and hooks his arms around his, trapping the mirror between the chains.

_Before the sun sets._ Ryouta’s voice speaks in his mind, his lips still moving to the ancient spell. The world is filled with light, and then there is darkness.

#

_The sky is a mixture of yellow and orange and blue and everything is being pulled to a single point. The sea is unnaturally silent beneath Shintarou’s feet and yet there is this feeling that a storm is drawing nearby._

__

_“Seijuurou!,” he calls out, “Seijuurou, where are you?”_

__

_He treads to the deeper parts of the water, calling out Seijuurou’s name again and again. Where is he? His voice grows hoarse from all the shouting, and he feels completely alone. He is in the sea, but it doesn’t feel like it at all._

__

_“Shintarou!”_

__

_He turns to the familiar voice and his face breaks into a relieved smile. Seijuurou swims up to him and clings on his shoulders, burying his face on the crook of his neck. Shintarou holds him tightly and kisses the top of his head._

__

_“You’re alive, thank the gods you’re alive,” Seijuurou says as he pulled away from him to look at his face. He brushes his thumb along the side of Shintarou’s cheek and he smiles wistfully, “I’m really happy.”_

__

_A strong wind blows and suddenly, the sea starts moving towards the light at the end of the horizon. The light is sucked in and the sky quickly turns into blue._

__

_“Where are we? What’s happening?”_

__

_“There’s not much time left, Shintarou, listen: what I did I have to do for you. There was no other way. My father told me this wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t meet you, but believe me, I would never exchange that day we met, the music we made, the times we shared, to any treasure or throne or kingdom he had offered me. He told me loving you was my unbecoming, but what he didn’t realize is that it was what completed me.”_

__

_“Seijuurou, what-”_

__

_“This is goodbye, Shintarou,” he smiles and his tears fall, glistening, then becoming one with the sea._

__

_“Remember the songs we used to sing,_

_remember the vows we made,_

_and every time you look at the sea,_

_may you remember me.”_

__

_Shintarou sings the last line with him and they bring their lips together. Seijuurou tastes like the sea. If it’s from the water or his tears, he didn’t care. Seijuurou kisses him as if it was their last. His lips carves a melody against his, and his fingers draw notes against his back. When they break apart, Seijuurou pulls his face close again and leaves a ghost of a song on the corner of his mouth._

__

_“There is no way that I’ll ever forget you, Seijuurou,” Shintarou tells him._

__

_The sky explodes above them and stars fall down. Little by little, Shintarou’s surrounding dissolves into sand. The last image he sees is Seijuurou’s sad smile._

#

When Seijuurou opens his eyes, the blue flames had died down and the image of Shintarou is no more. He leaves the chamber without a word, ignoring the looks that everyone throws his way. Somehow, the world is suddenly without music.

#

Shintarou opens his eyes groggily, staring up at the ceiling of his room. He feels dead tired and his heart is beating an erratic rhythm against his chest. He raises his hand to his face and finds them moist with tears.

He then sees his mother fling herself onto him and hold him tightly, her shoulders shaking. Shizuka is on the other end of his bed, her hands on her chest and tears on her eyes. He sees her open her mouth, but no words leave her lips. Or maybe there are, only that he cannot tell. All he can hear is static.

#

 

Shintarou sits next to the window, looking beyond the horizon. His hearing has started to come back, and so are his bearings. Little by little, his body recovers from the plague that killed many of their neighbors. It is a miracle, everyone says. But there is still something in him that hasn’t quite fully returned, Shintarou realizes, and he notices it most especially when he looks at the sea.

“I’m going out again,” he finally announces after a long time of being silent.

His mother looks at him worriedly but says nothing about it. Something has been amiss with Shintarou ever since he got back on his feet.

“Do you need your sister to go with you?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You’re going to the cliffs again?” Shizuka asks.

“Yes.”

#

“We’re moving away tomorrow.”

Seijuurou doesn’t have to turn to know it is Shizuka. It’s been a long time since she last visited, but she’s the only one who does anyway. He misses the times when it was Shintarou and they would compose music and reveled in each other’s company. It’s funny how back then, he thought everything was so perfect that nothing could ruin it.

“Mother is scared that another plague might happen. We're never going back here.”

“It’s good for you, then. You’re not the type that would thrive in a rural place like this. Shintarou once told me that the mainland is big and full of opportunities. Why, Shintarou’s music might be known to people soon. He's doing well, I suppose?”

She sits beside him on the beach and stares at the sea. The sky is cloudless and clear and the sun is just about to set.

“Your smile is fooling no one.”

“I was hoping I can fool myself,” he says, dropping the smile he tried to put up.

“Don’t you want to say goodbye to him for the last time? I believe he’s on the cliff where you used to meet. He always goes there, you know? Even if he has no memories of you.”

Seijuurou knows it all too well. He has always watched Shintarou from afar.

“I’ve said my farewell a long time ago.”

“You’ve said that farewell for my brother, but you yourself hasn’t let go of him yet. The fact that you’ve kept on watching over him all these time... Sei-chan, you need to have your own closure, too.”

“I don’t want to show myself anymore, Shizuka,” he drags his hand across the sand and picks up a small pebble. He raises his arms and throws it away with all he has. The pebble makes a loud splash and sinks into the water, “If I do, I might drag him to the sea with me and never let go of him again.”

“Is that the best thing to do? Just let him leave without any word?”

“It’s the only thing I can do.”

He has always been careful. He didn’t want to involve Shintarou in his world anymore. As much as it pains him, he wants him to be free. When they made music together, they were manage to create a new world that was only for them. But now, it was all a thing of the past. That world has been closed off and abandoned, never to be found again.

“Will you sing one song that you and brother made before I go, then?” Shizuka smiles at him, “Your favorite one.”

Seijuurou sings one last time for a human.

#

Shintarou stands on the edge of the cliff and lets his eyes take in the expanse of the sea before him. There is something in this place that makes him come back everyday. As to what it is, he doesn’t know. But what he does know is that there is an empty feeling inside him that needs to be filled. This is his last day to search for answers.

His eyes land on the boulders not far beneath him. It calls to him, as usual. A mysterious thing, that is, because he never went down there before. Finally giving in to his curiosity, he carefully gets down from the cliff until he has reached the boulder.

He takes a breath, letting the smell of sea air fill him. A wave crashes against the rocks. When he closes his eyes, the wind blows and he hears a distant melody, a voice so ethereal yet familiar.

_Before I die, I want to see your eyes shine like the stars,_

_But shed no tears for my passing, love, even when I’m gone._

His lips start moving on their own, and the same song comes out from him, singing together with the strange voice.

_Night is coming swift and fast, close your eyes with me_

_Though when you wake, I won’t be here, but I’ll be in your memories._

_Remember the songs we used to sing,_

_Remember the vows we made_

 

He opens his eyes to the setting sun, and somehow, the sea appears a flaming red.

_And every time you look at the sea,_

_May you remember me._

 

In that moment, he feels like he has found _it_.

A song.

A voice.

A smile.

A promise to make the best music this world has ever heard.

**  
**  
###

**Author's Note:**

> Songs can be found collectively in this [playlist](https://soundcloud.com/04060407/sets/nocturne-midoaka-mermanau).
> 
> Let me tell you how this merman AU came to being. It was a fateful August evening, if I recall correctly, and Emily and I were exchanging (angsty) headcanons in Twitter. The very first one we talked about was the king AU which I have written a fic for quite some time ago. Then Emily drew a [chibi merman AU](http://0ocrystalo0.tumblr.com/post/98402288226/mdak-chibis-on-my-twitter) and then we got to talk about merman AU headcanons. The original version, we had Mido die and cremated and his ashes were thrown to the sea, and Akashi collected them. The second one we had Mido form a new family and live happily while Akashi watches from faraway. It really exploded everywhere hahaha. The common ground is that Akashi suffers.
> 
> Then by October, I started writing this, hoping I could make it in time for a Christmas gift for Emily, but then I really had a hard time because I didn't know how to start. This final version is the fourth version of this merman AU OTL. Since we were supposed to exchange gifts last December for this AU, Emily drew another [merman AU art](http://0ocrystalo0.tumblr.com/post/110637893301/late-upload-of-my-christmas-gift-for) which is PERFECT AF. Sadly I wasn't able to finish this by December so I gave her the king AU instead and promised to finish the merman AU just in time for her birthday.
> 
> Sooo, after eight months of planning and revising and writing, I finally finished this. And it's my first 10k+ one-shot, also, which is a feat because writing long stuff ain't really my thing. I would like to apologize for the quality of the recording and the music. I can't play an instrument to save a life so I just sang it OTL But I'm pretty sure Akashi and Midorima made a way, way, way better music together.
> 
> Happy birthday again Emily!!! :3 Thank you for the arts and I'm always here to cheer for you \o/ Don't forget to rest your hands from time to time tho :P
> 
> ALSO Emily made another art for this fic, the scene where Mido just returned from the mainland ; v ; Check it out [here](https://twitter.com/0o_crystal_o0/status/594130130143940608).


End file.
